Shut-off and carrying device for hose.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

G. D. ROWELL. SHUT-OPP AND CARRYING DEVICE FOR HOSE.

APPI-IOATION'IILED JULY 23, 1904.

rrn STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

ATENT Orricn.

SHUT-OFF AND CARRYING DEVICE FOR HOSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,603, dated May 2, 1905. Application filed July 23, 1904. Serial No. 217,769.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, GUrLFoRD D. RowELL, residing in Appleton, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shut-Offs and Carrying Devices for Hose, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to an improved shut-off and carrying device for hose.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for shutting off instantly the flow of water through a flexible hose without the necessity of shutting down the engine orstopping the operation of a pump.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of such character that when the flexible hose is shut off the device may be used as a means for carrying the hose from one point to another.

With the above objects and other incidental objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, parts being in section and showing a flexible hose between the two clamping members, the upper clamping member being in its raised position previous to being brought down to compress the hose, the said figure also showing in dotted lines the said upper member as brought down into compressing position and locked in such position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on a plane through the pivots. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on a plane through the locking device, and Fig. 5 is across-section on a plane through the hardrubber compressing-surfaces.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 6 indicates what may be termed the lower clamping member, and 7 the cooperating upper clamping member. The outer portions of these clamping members are in the form of handles, while the inner portions thereof form clamping-jaws. The inner end of the upper clamping member is pivoted by suit able means to a point of the lower clamping member between the ends of said lower clamping member, the pivot being preferably formed by metallic straps 8 8, between the upper ends of which the inner end of the upper clamping member is pivoted on a transverse bolt 9, connecting said upper ends of the straps. The lower ends of the straps are rigidly secured to the lower clamping member preferably by means of a transverse bolt 10, having on one end a head which bears against one of the straps and having its opposite end threaded to receive a nut which is turned tightly against the-other strap.

In the use of improved device the hose i1 is passed transversely between the clampingjaws. Of course the inner surfaces of said clamping-jaws could bear directly against the hose; but as such surfaces would have a tendency to break and damage the hose I prefer to equip said inner surfaces with contacting members of such construction that an effectual spreading of the flexible hose will be obtained without at the same time in the least damaging the said hose, and this I deem to be an important feature of my invention. For accomplishing this function I provide the inner surfaces of the clamping-jaws with hardrubber strips 11 11, and it has been found by experience that these answer the purpose to very great advantage. These strips may be secured to the clamping-jaws in any desirable manner; but I prefer to provide the said clamping-jaws with recesses 12 12, and in these recesses the thick base portions of the rubber strips are disposed. The opposite ends of each rubber strip are provided with projecting tongues 13 13, and through these tongues and through the clamping members securing-bolts 14 are passed. In the use of these rubber strips if no means were provided to guard against it when the clamping member is brought down to the dotted-line position of Fig. 1 the said strips would be torn out of their recesses by reason of the great pressure of the water in the hose exerted against the strips in a direction transverse of the length of said strips. I guard against this by providing, preferably, the base of each strip, longitudinally thereof, with one or more longitudinal wires 15, which have the effect of so stiffening each base portion as to counteract the force of the water sufficiently to firmly retain the hard-rubber strips in place.

It is important that the upper clamping member when it is brought down to its compressing position be locked in such position, so as to obviate the necessity of the operator exerting a continual down pressure thereon. For this purpose a catch 16 is provided, said catch passing through an opening 17 in the upper clamping member and pivoted in an enlarged portion of said opening. The lower end of this catch is provided with a shoulder 18, which when the upper clamping member is brought down is adapted to engage under a lug 19, projecting from the end of the lower clamping member. The catch has projecting from its outer longitudinal edge an arm 20, and bearing against this arm is the lower end of a coiled spring 21, the upper end of said spring being seated in a recess 22, formed in the upper clamping member. The expansive force of the spring when the shoulder 18 is in engagement with the lug 19 acts to retain said shoulder in engagement with the lug. It will sometimes be found desirable after the upper clamping member has been brought down as far as possible by hand-power to subject the hose to further compression by mechanical power, and to accomplish this I thread the upper end of the catch 16 and turn on said threads a nut 23, which at its outer end is preferably in the form of a hand-wheel for convenience in turning. The nut when turned downwardly of course acts against the upper edge of the upper clamping member and causes said member to exert a still greater pressure upon the flexible hose. It will be understood, of course, that the opening through the handle is sufliciently large to permit the necessary play of the catch.

My invention is of more general application in connection with a fire-hose, although of course it may be used in connection with any other flexible hose adapted for the passage of water therethrough and for the discharge of water therefrom. In the case more especially of a fire-hose it is frequently necessary to shut ofl the flow of water through the hose, and where this is done by shutting down the engine or dispatching a man to the source of supply much valuable time is lost. With my improved device, however, the flow of water through the hose may be stopped at any point in the length of the hose almost instantly and while the hose is full of water under pressure. Under the ordinary methods firemen carry the hose full of water under pressure up a ladder for the purpose of directing the stream of water toward a particular point of a burning building. This of course involves the expenditure of great labor on the part of firemen. With my improved device the flow of water can be shut off at a certain point in the length of the hose, and thereby the lighter empty portion of the hose may be carried up the ladder by the firemen and a very great saving in labor effected. When the desired point of ascent of the ladder is reached, the

shut-off may be removed from the hose and the stream again allowed to traverse the entire length of said hose and discharge out of the nozzle thereof. It also frequently happens at fires that a section of the hose bursts, and this necessitates shutting down the engine or cutting ofl" at the source of supply until the damaged section is replaced. By the employment of my invention, however, the device may be applied to the hose between the source of supply and the point of bursting, and thereby temporarily shut off the flow of water during the operation of removing the ruptured section and the insertion of the new section.

Another important feature of my invention is the extension of the clamping members outwardly in the form of handles, whereby after the clamping members have compressed the hose two men may grasp the handles and be thereby enabled to conveniently carry the heavy hose from one point to another. It is, however, quite essential in this particular use of the device to counteract the lateral strain which is necessarily engendered at the point of location of the locking-dog when the hose is so carried by the device, and for this purpose I provide either one of the clamping members, preferably the upper one, with a projecting rod 24, which is adapted to enter a recess 25, provided therefor in the other clamping member.

What I claim as my invention .is

1. In a hose shut-off, the combination of clamping members constructed to be brought together or apart and adapted to receive a flexible hose therebetween and provided with recesses in their opposed inner faces,hard-rubber strips or plates having their bases secured in the recesses, and a wire rod or rods extending longitudinally through the rubber strips or plates.

2. A hose shut-off and carrying device, consisting of clamping members adapted to receive a flexible hose therebetween, the upper member being pivoted to the lower member and adapted to be turned downwardly on its pivot in a direction transverse to the longitudinal length of the hose, and both members extended outwardly in the form of handles and means for locking the members together.

3. In a hose shu't-oflf and carrying device, the combination with clamping members adapted to receive a flexible hose therebetween, the upper member being pivoted to the lower member and adapted to be turned downwardly on its pivot in a direction transverse to the longitudinal length of the hose, and said members extended outwardly in the form of handles,of means for releasably locking the clamping members together, when the upper clamping member is turned downwardly.

4. A hose shut-off and carrying device, consisting of clamping members adapted to receive a flexible hose therebetween, the upper member being pivoted to the lower member and adapted to be turned downwardly on its pivot in a direction transverse to the longitudinal length of the hose, and said members extended outwardly in the form of handles, and one of said members provided with a projecting rod or pin adapted to enter a recess near the end of the other member and means for locking the members together.

5. In a hose shut-offend carrying device,the combination of clamping members pivoted together and adapted to receive a flexible hose therebetween, and said clamping members extended in a direction transverse to the longi tudinal length of the hose, the said extensions forming handles, a catch pivoted to one of the clamping members, and adapted to releasably engage the other clamping member when brought downwardly to compressing position, and a rod or pin carried by one of the clamping members and adapted, when the clamping members are brought together, to engage a recess in the other clamping member.

6. in a hose shut-ofif, the combination oi the clamping members pivotally connected and adapted to receive a hose transversely between them, the upper member having a recess extending therethrough, a catch pivoted within said recess and adapted to engage the lower member and having its upper end extended above said recess, and a nut mounted on said end of the catch and adapted to be turned down against the upper clamping member.

7. In a hose shut-off, the combination of the clamping members pivotally connected and adapted to receive a hose transversely therebetween, the upper member having a recess therethrough, a catch pivoted in said recess and adapted to engage the lower member, having its upper end projecting above the upper clamping member and provided with a lateral arm below said member, a spring seated in said member and bearing on said arm, and a nut mounted on the upper end of the catch and adapted to be turned home against the clamping member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUILFORD D. HOWELL.

VVi tn esses:

A. L. MonsELL, ANNA F. SoHMIDTnAUnR. 

